1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the projection and perception of three dimensional images and is directed more particularly to a television system selectively adaptable to three-dimensional viewing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In stereoscopic motion pictures, three-dimensional realism is achieved by simultaneously projecting two spaced images on a screen. Special glasses are worn by a viewer so that each eye perceives only the corresponding left or right image. Typically, the images are projected using polarized light; the viewing glasses have one horizontally polarized lens to pass one image and one vertically polarized lens to pass the other image. As a result, the viewer senses a three-dimensional picture.
Examples of previous attempts to arrive at a suitable three-dimensional television system appear in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,388,170, issued Oct. 30, 1945 to H. J. De N. McCollum; 3,165,578, issued Jan. 12, 1965 to F. Lauricella; 3,275,745, issued Sept. 27, 1966 to R. E. Var; 3,621,127, issued Nov. 16, 1971 to Karl Hope; 3,670,097; issued June 13, 1972 to James L. Jones; 3,674,921, issued July 4, 1972 to Alfred Norton Goldsmith; 3,903,358, issued Sept. 2, 1975 to John A. Roese; and 3,697,675, issued Oct. 10, 1972 to Terry D. Beard, et al.